Aerial lift passenger chair



May 23, 1961 'T. R SOWDER AERIAL LIFT PASSENGER CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed March 28, 1958 INVENTOR.

TONY R. SOWDER BY y 1961 T. R SOWDER 2,985,224

AERIAL LIFT PASSENGER CHAIR Filed March 2a, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-5INVENTOR. TONY R. SOWDER United States Patent 9 AERIAL LIFT PASSENGERCHAIR Tony R. Sowder, Spokane, "Wash, assignor to Riblet TramwayCompany, Spokane, Wash., a corporation of Washington Filed Mar. 28,1958, Ser'. No. 724,566

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-2) The present invention is an aerial lift passengerchair having a housing alternately movable to a closed position whereina passenger seated in said chair is shielded and to an open positionwherein passengers are permitted movement to and from said chair.

Among the objects of the present invention are: to provide a novel chairfor an aerial tramway or passenger cha1r lift; to provide such a chairwhich is capable of carrying a plurality of persons; to provide such achair with a housing for shielding the occupants of the chair; toprovide such a chair and housing with means for opening the housing topermit movement of a passenger to and from said chair; to provide such achair which prov1des adequate safety for the persons being carriedthereby; to provide such a chair which is particularly adapted to beused in all seasons of the year and particularly in a ski lift; and toprovide such a chair which is very simple in construction, assembledwith facility, and not liable to become inoperative, and therefore onewhich may be constructed and maintained economically.

There are further objects and advantages of the present invention whichit is believed will become apparent to the reader during the course ofthe following description when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, therefore such further objects are not hereinspecifically set forth.

In said accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals are employed todesignate like parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an aerial lift passenger chairconstructed in accordance with my present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the said chair;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal cross section taken substantiallyon a plane indicated by line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the footrest disassociated from thehousing and having a portion broken away for convenience ofillustration;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a modified lift chair constructed inaccordance with this invention; and

Figure 6 is a front elevation of the chair shown in Figure 5.

Having reference more particularly now to the drawings, I have shown inFigures 1-4 a preferred embodiment of my present invention whichdiscloses an aerial lift passenger chair indicated in its entirety bythe reference numeral 10, and this chair, which in actual practice seatstwo persons, includes a framework 12 which forms a chair C having abottom 14, a back :16, and sides 18 of the chair. A single supportmember 20' is secured as by welding or otherwise at its lower end to thechair C and is adapted at its upper end (not shown) to be supported upona tramway cable. Journals 22 are carried by the back 16 of the chair bymeans of brackets 24 and are in axial alignment with each other on ahorizontal axis rearwardly of the chair back 16 and parallel to thehorizontal length of the chair. It will be understood, though notparticularly shown in full line in the ice drawings, that the chair isprovided with a passenger seat one on each side of the support member20, and that the horizontal length of the chair extends laterally ofFigure 2 and perpendicular to the support member 20 toward the viewerwhen viewing Figure 1.

Pivotally supported upon said journals 22 is a housing 26 which issomewhat frusto-conical in shape and constitutes a hollow dome having anopen bottom 28 disposed obliquely to the plane curve of the dome. Thedome is provided with a concavo-convex light 30 at the top and atransparent windshield 32 in the front wall of the housing atsubstantially eye level of a person seated in said chair. It will thusbe seen that the housing 26 encloses the framework and any person orpersons seated in the chair C when the housing is in the closed positionas shown in full line.

To permit movement of the housing about the support member 20, I providea vertical slot or bifurcation 34 which extends from a point near theupper end of the housing dome to and through the open bottom edge 28 ofthe housing. Thus the housing is permitted to pivot on the journals 22from the full line position to the broken line position as shown.

To prevent pivotal movement beyond that which is desired,"l provide astop bar 36 at the lower end of the slot or bifurcation 34 which bar issecured as by bolts 38 and cooperating nuts 40 to unite the spacedmarginal portions defining the lower ends of the slot or bifurcation 34.This stop bar 36 carries a perpendicular shaft 42 to which is secured acrosshead 44 having rubber or other protective cushioning materialsleeves 46 thereon, which provide a footrest 48 for the occupants of thechair C.

It will be noted in Figure 3 that stiffening channel members 50 extendalong and are riveted or otherwise secured to the marginal edge portionsof the housing 26 which define the slot or bifurcation 34 and clampedbetween these stiffening members 50 and said marginal edge portions areresilient rubber flaps 52 which close the slot or bifurcation 34 toprevent passage of air therethrough. Yet because of the resiliency ofthe flaps the support member 20 may pass therethrough to permit movementof the housing 26 from the full line position to the broken lineposition. The full line position of the housing 26 is the closedposition wherein the passenger occupants are shielded from the elements,and the broken line position is the open position wherein passengers arepermitted movement to and from said chair.

With reference to Figures 5 and 6, it will be seen that instead of asingle support member, I have provided a yoke type support member 54 andthe housing 26a thus omits the slot or bifurcation 34. Therefore thestiffening members 50 and the flaps 52 are omitted, but in otherrespects the invention remains identical.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States the following:

1. An aerial lift passenger chair comprising a framework constituting abottom and back of the chair; a single support member for said frameworkextending vertically at substantially the center of gravity of thechair; a housing journaled on said framework on an axis parallel to thehorizontal width of said chair for pivotal movement alternately to anopen position and a closed position; means in said housing effective topermit said pivotal movement irrespective of said support member; saidhousing having a closed dome and an open bottom for enclosing saidframework when in the closed position; and a footrest fixed relative tosaid housing and disposed when said housing is in the closed position toaccommodate the feet of a passenger seated in said chair.

2. In an aerial lift passenger chair having a framework constituting abottom, back and sides of the chair and a single support memberextending vertically at substantially the center of gravity of thechair; a housing therefor comprising a closed hollow dome and an openbottom initially enclosing said framework; said housing being associatedwith said framework by means of journals disposed on an axis parallel tothe horizontal Width of said chair whereby the housing is supported forpivotal movement alternately to a closed position wherein the housingencloses said framework and an open position wherein the housing issufliciently removed from said framework to permit movement of apassenger to and from said chair; said housing having a bifurcationthrough which said support member passes; a footrest secured at thelower edge of said housing and disposed when said housing is in theclosed position to accom- 15 References Cited in the file of this patentUNITED STATES PATENTS 2,662,587 McIlvaine Dec. 15, 1953 2,733,027 GeroJan. 3 1, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,766 Great Britain Dec. 17, 1883 486,156Germany Nov. 9, 1929 183,445 Austria Feb. 19, 1953 867,587 Germany Feb.19, 1953

